All About Family Discount Cruises

Finding the perfect cruise that fits both your family’s interests and budget can be a daunting task, but with a little information on what to look for, you can arrange a cruise you’ll remember for a lifetime. This general overview on family discount cruises will get you put you on the right track to planning your next getaway.

What Makes it a Family Cruise?

While cruises were once purely the domain of couples and honeymooners, today they cater even more so to families. Family Cruises are on the informal end of the spectrum and offer something to passengers with age-specific activities and amenities. They also offer rates and accommodations designed specifically so that parents and kids can share the same cabin space. Even more appealing, these cruises feature a safe environment where kids can have fun on their own in guided events while the deserving parents take some time to themselves.

Activities Just for Kids

Several of the most popular cruise lines offer a plethora of fun, supervised activities for kids of all ages — from babies and toddlers right up to teens. While younger kids will enjoy the hands-on approach of finger painting, play-dough sculpting and face painting, older kids can keep busy with video games, all sorts of sports, scavenger hunts and more. While kids are away from their parents, they will usually have a designated part of the ship all to themselves and when under a certain age, can only be signed in or out by mom or dad. This lets the cruise staff make sure both that kids are safe and are having the most fun — without any grownups in the way.

Activities for Adults

While the kids are busy having fun, parents can choose from a whole range of events featured on regular cruises. For the ultimate in relaxation, you might choose to lounge by a pool, chill out in a sauna or enjoy a day or two at the spa with a facial, massage or body wrap.

Later on when you feel like having some fun, you might choose to do a little socializing at daily deck parties and wine tastings. Parents and older family members will also appreciate amazing shows on a daily basis like Broadway-style musicals, quiz-shows, and live first-rate musical acts.

Don’t worry about going hungry either. Cruise ships and their staff are experts at satisfying passengers’ every culinary whim and desire. Peckish passengers are likely to find a dozen or more unique and delicious places on board to have a meal they won’t soon forget.

Activities for the Whole Family

Of course, the whole point of an amazing family vacation is spending time and having fun together. Everyone is sure to have a great time at all ages water parks, family deck parties with fun themes and shows and musicals you might expect to find only at amusement resorts on land.

Accommodations

Accommodations on family cruises are designed to include everyone in the same cabin as comfortably as possible. For larger groups, connecting rooms are available and for more compact families, you can share one room. Just about every cruise line offers special discounted rates throughout the summer season — anywhere from half price to free fare for kids traveling with two full fare adults.

Going Ashore

While you can have the time of your life on board your cruise ship, the huge advantage of traveling while you relax is seeing exotic locations with your own eyes and experiencing all they’ve got to offer.

The Caribbean is the world’s most popular cruise destination for lots of reasons — perfect weather year round, more diverse yet exceedingly interesting and beautiful ports located within the same region and more chances for once-in-a-lifetime activities and family fun than anywhere else.

Family cruises will normally go into port at family-friendly locations. Back on land, you’ll find options for fun like state of the art aquariums where parents and their kids can learn about native Caribbean sea life and even get up close and personal with dolphins, sea turtles and more. Other great options include snorkeling, parasailing or going on an off-road jeep tour of the more rugged parts of the island you’re visiting.

For families whose kids are a bit more on the mature side, an Alaskan cruise can offer the adventure of a lifetime. Along the way, they feature views of rugged natural wilderness and wildlife like bald eagles, moose and majestic breaching whales. And when making calls to port, excursions can let families soar across a glacier on a helicopter tour or learn to command a pack of sled dogs.

For an unforgettable, exciting and unique family vacation you’ll remember for a lifetime, a cruise getaway can’t be beaten. Find the cruise that’s right for you today!